


Remnants of Control

by Iaveina



Series: The Hunters of Erzielen [4]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: AH Fantasy AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-02 13:01:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iaveina/pseuds/Iaveina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The human mind is complicated; filled with a complex web of thoughts and emotions that blend together to form what makes a human. But when it is tampered with the consequences can be devastating. The Hunters don’t quite know what they’ve stumbled into and what was supposed to be a simple task soon turns into a race against time to find their missing member. Fantasy AU Freewood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ryan couldn’t help but feel like the towns on the Northern border of the Kingdom all looked the same; dirt roads, badly built houses that were started to crumble with age with tall, imposing and well-fortified walls that surrounded the perimeter. The people all wore clothing in dark colours, and their weathered faces glowered at them with mistrust as they walked through the streets. Ryan could see that the Great War with the Northern Territories, long since over with the accord struck between the Kings of the two Nations, still held a heavy impact over the lives of the civilians and could understand their wariness of strangers, even if it did make him feel like under constant watch.

Despite this, the Northern towns shared a lot in common with the other towns and cities all over the country, and as Ryan stood with his back against the wall of a hollowed out, derelict building - of which nature had begun its steady reclaiming if the weeds growing up the walls and peaking out of the caved-in roof were anything to go by - where he could see the majority of the town market before him. But, more importantly, he had a perfect view of his friends as they went to and fro between stalls, every movement of theirs tracked by the suspicious gazes of the locals.

Ryan sighed, leaning back against the building and digging his free hand into the pocket of his coat. His other hand held his staff close to his body, its orb dimly glimmering in the meagre light of the overcast day.

“Remind me again why we’re here?”

Ryan turned his head slightly, keeping the majority of the open air market in his sights as his attention shifted to Michael. The younger man was stood with his arms tightly crossed and a scowl on his face as he too leant against the building. He stared blankly at the market.

“I still work for the King, Michael,” Ryan replied, fixing his comrade with an amused smirk. “He asked me to check on a few things in this region for him, and Geoff wanted to come along. You could’ve stayed at home.”

It was strange how easily Achievement City, and his life with The Hunters, had become a home to him. How his life now seemed to revolve around this small group of people, small group of friends(and, as his eyes flickered to where Gavin stood across the way, something more than a friend), and how he barely thought about where his home was; enjoying the warm, comfortable feeling that spread through him at the thought of returning back to their city with its mismatched houses and mismatched people.

Michael huffed and his shoulders slumped. “Everyone else wanted to come,” he replied simply, scuffing the heels of his boots against the side of the building. “I wasn’t gonna sit around twiddling my thumbs doing nothing.”

“As opposed to now?” Ryan joked dryly. Michael groaned.

“At least there’s something new to look at,” Michael reasoned, unfolding his arms. One hand came up to run through his messy curls whilst the other rested on his hip and he stepped away from the building, out from underneath the shadow it cast and out into the dim sunlight. He looked up, an unimpressed scowl on his face. “Shame the scenery fucking  _sucks_  though.”

“Careful Michael, it’s not smart to insu-”

“Would our esteemed guests like to purchase a souvenir? A token perhaps, to remind them of their time in our beloved city.”

Ryan, whose attention had been split between Michael and the figures of the rest of his group in the distance, hadn’t noticed the woman’s approach and barely managed to contain his startled look, his hand involuntarily tightening around the hilt of his staff. Michael visibly jumped, a hand jumping up to grip the hilt of the sword strapped across his back.

The woman was old; her thin white hair pulled into a tight bun, stray strands framing her weathered face, with a heavy coat wrapped around her thin frame whilst frails hands clutched tightly at a large tartan bag. Despite the fragility of her frame, at her tallest Ryan hazarded that the top of her head would barely reach Michael’s chest, and her sharp grey eyes focused on the two of them as one of her hands shot out to grip Michael’s arm.  

Ryan immediately straightened up and took a step away from the wall. The woman let go of Michael’s arm, almost as if burned, and returned to the handle of her bag. She stared at Ryan.

“I’m sorry to have startled you, fair travellers,” the woman began in a surprisingly deep voice for a woman of her size. She opened the bag and dug a hand inside as she looked between the two Hunters. “I saw you standing here away from the main market and wondered if, perhaps, you would be more inclined to buy something if someone came to you.”

Michael held up his hands and shook his head. “I’m sorry Ma’am, but we’re really not here buy anything. We’re waiting for our friends.”

“Perhaps you would consider buying a trinket for these friends?” The woman pressed, pulling out an intricate glass vase from the depths of the bag. Ryan’s brow furrowed, his senses picking up the slight tingle of magic from within, and he instinctively took a step closer to Michael. Michael’s eyebrow rose, both at Ryan’s sudden proximity and at the appearance of a vase taller than the bag it was pulled from. “This is only one of the many items produced in our fair city, the process behind its detailed design is a particular secret of this place and, as you can see, it’s of a very high quality. For you, generous travellers, 4 Ingots.”

“Madam, we’re re-”

“If that doesn’t interest you, we also have delicately cut figurines, or cloaks spun from the finest Erzielen wool - guaranteed to keep you warm even through the harshest of winters. If not for you, perhaps for a lovely lady,” her eyes flickered from Michael’s face over to where Gavin was stood by Jack, happily chatting to one of the stall owners across the market. The younger man was waving his arms around enthusiastically, in the midst of an explanation of some sort, with a bright grin on his face that made a rush of protectiveness surge through Ryan. The old woman’s eyes returned to Ryan and a sly smirk graced her lips. “Or your young man.”

“I’m sorry Madam, but we’re really not interested,” Ryan responded, placing a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “And we really should be moving on now, I’m sorry to have wasted your time.”

Michael’s gaze was momentarily quizzical before he moved out from under Ryan’s protective hand, slowly walking towards the rest of their group but pausing before stepping out into the market. He folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow, the look on his face clearly telling Ryan that he wasn’t moving any further without him.

The woman’s hand gripping onto the sleeve of his coat brought his attention sharply back to her, and he pulled away with perhaps more force than he had intended. Unbalanced, she tumbled forward and Ryan’s hands shot out to steady her.

“Thank you honoured Sir,” the woman croaked, fixing Ryan with a pointed look. She pulled back slowly, her grip tightening around the handle of her bag. “I will not intrude upon your day any further.”

Ryan felt her eyes watching him intently as he walked over to Michael.

"What was all that about?" The younger man hissed, walking alongside Ryan as the mage reached him and started slowly moving towards the rest of the group. "Is she following us?"

Ryan, who couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, shrugged. “I don’t think so,” he replied, moving from a casual pace into a quick walk. Michael didn’t comment as he matched his speed and the two of them brushed past a number of stalls, walking towards the rest of their group as the four of them moved on.

Jack, who had a polite look of exasperated interest on his face as he listened to Gavin’s steady stream of conversation, noticed their approach first. He smiled warmly in greeting, whilst Gavin stopped mid-sentence and bounded over to Ryan, eagerly grasping his hands and excitedly tugging him forward.

“Hey Love,” he greeted, pushing himself up on the balls of his feet to deliver a quick kiss. Ryan snaked his arm around Gavin’s waist and pulled him closer, Gavin mirroring him and slipping his hand into Ryan’s back pocket with a contented smile. Jack and Michael, used to this show of affection between their two friends, didn’t react; instead Michael dug his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders slightly as Jack raised an eyebrow.

“What happened?” He asked, levelling Ryan and Michael with a steady look. Michael sighed, a deeply exasperated sound that made him look visibly deflated afterwards, whilst Ryan chuckled, musing on Jack’s level of perception when it came to his friends. He felt the arm around his waist tighten slightly, Gavin turning to look at him with quizzical eyes.

“Nothing,” Ryan shrugged, giving Gavin a reassuring squeeze. The younger man squirmed slightly, letting out a squawk of protest at the movement that made the group chuckle. Jack raised an eyebrow, a light smile on his face, clearly asking for Ryan to elaborate. “Really, we just had a run in with one of the locals.”

Michael snorted. “Run in? She basically jumped us.”

“ _She_?” Gavin asked incredulously. “You got scared by a woman?!”

“We didn’t get  _scared_  dumbass,” Michael retorted, lightly punching Gavin on the arm and being unphased by Ryan’s joking glower afterwards. “She was old and harmless.”

“Uh-huh,” Gavin teased, leaning forward in Ryan’s lose hold to playfully ruffle Michael’s hair. Michael growled, glaring vehemently at Gavin as he flattened down his curls, and was interrupted in retaliating by the appearance of Geoff and Ray -  the two having noticed the lack of their companions as they walked on through the market. Geoff, sleepy eyes and scruffy beard only succeeding in masking his quick-witted intellect, greeted them with a lazy wave as Ray sauntered into the space between Gavin and Michael with a lopsided grin.

“Nice of you guys to join us,” Geoff exclaimed, a hand sitting on his hip whilst the other scratched his chin. “Whilst you’ve been standing around doing nothing  _we’ve_  been busy being useful and gathering information.”

“The King only wanted me to do a land survey,” Ryan replied, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Geoff shrugged dismissively, the links of his chainmail rattling together and reflecting a little of the dim sunlight. “Counting animals and things. Going to a market can’t help us with that.”

“Besides, it’s a massive waste of our time,” Michael grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and shooting a furtive glance around at the marketplace. “We’re supposed to be out slaying monsters, saving people, sorting out problems and shit, not counting sheep!”

“You didn’t have to come along,” Ryan replied patiently, absently adjusting his grip on his staff. To his side, Gavin fidgeted. “The King only asked  _me_ , remember?”

“Pfft, as if he thought we’d let you wander up here alone.”

“I think Burnie just wanted to give us something to do,” Jack mused, a kind smile on his face as he looked between Geoff and Michael; his calm voice immediately diffusing the small amount of tension that had built up and the anger on Michael’s face instantly vanished. “Y’know that he likes to keep tabs on us occasionally. It could be worse.”

Geoff snorted. “This is pretty far down on the list of things I’d want to do for Burnie,” he groaned, a bored look crossing his face. “Right there beside doing taxes and training new recruits.”

“We’re not  _that_  bad,” Ray teased, folding his arms and shooting an amused smirk Geoff’s way.

“ _You’re_  not that bad. You know one end of a sword from the other and haven’t accidentally stabbed anyone you weren’t meant to stab,” Geoff grumbled, slowly walking off in the direction he’d come from. The group followed behind at a steady pace. “Better than _some_  dumbasses I’ve had to train.”

“Didn’t you once have to train someone who’d never actually held a sword before?” Jack mused, an amused look in his brown eyes. Geoff stopped walking and faced him with a scowl.

“What did I tell you about bringing that up again?” He growled, an eye twitching. Jack, far from being intimidated, let out a hearty laugh and clapped him on the shoulder.

“I’ll try to remember that for next time Geoff,” Jack chuckled, the sound infectious and causing the rest of the group to hide smirks. The corner of Geoff’s mouth twitched.

“You’d fucking better,” he replied in mock-anger before sighing. He rolled his eyes, a hand snaking up to scratch at his chin again, before turning and continuing his walk. “C’mon, let’s head back to the inn. I could use a drink.”

“You’re rather quiet today,” Ryan mused quietly as he and Gavin strayed behind the rest of the group, arms still around each other’s waists. Gavin looked up at him with confused hazel eyes, his eyebrow raised in an unspoken question. “It’s just a bit unlike you to be so quiet.”

Gavin shrugged, shaking his head. “I’m just tired, I’ll be fine after I’ve had a kip.”

“A  _what_?” Ryan asked, a disbelieving chuckle bubbling to the surface. Gavin grinned.

“After I’ve slept, you silly billy,” Gavin spun out of his hold and gripped onto his hand, swinging it up and down happily. “You’ve heard me say that before!”

“It always sounds like food to me!” Ryan defended, ducking forward quickly to grab Gavin around the waist with one arm and to haul him up over his shoulder. Caught unawares, Gavin let out a surprised squawk and squirmed. “Like a type of fish.”

“ _Ryyyyyyy_! Let me down!”

“Nope! If you’re tired then let me be the kind and caring boyfriend that I am and carry you to the inn. You can have a rest until we get there.”

“Have a rest?! How can I bloody have a rest when I’m stuck like this?!” He smacked at Ryan’s back, the mage’s thick coat absorbing it and turning it into something barely stronger than a tap. Gavin groaned, trying not to blush at the looks the townsfolk were giving them. “Ryan!”

“We’re nearly there-”

“I can walk!”

Ryan rolled his eyes before setting Gavin’s feet on the floor, keeping a steady hand on his arm until he was sure that the younger man was settled, and grinned when Gavin took his hand and dragged him up the path with a cheery ‘Thanks!’.

The walk didn’t take them long and soon they were being ushered by Geoff into the inn and to a table in the back corner of the downstairs dining room. The room was small, with a low ceiling, and filled with tables and mismatched chairs - all below an old chandelier half-filled with lit candles that cast shadows in every corner of the room. The table they were sat at was opposite the small bar in the corner, underneath an old faded picture that Ryan guessed would leave a patch of discolouration on the wall beneath it from how long it had been hung there, and the room itself was mainly empty of patrons; asides from an elderly looking man sat by the bar reading a thickly bound book.

Ryan slipped into the seat beside Jack, Gavin plopping down into the seat next to him with a soft ‘oof’ as Geoff stood at the head of the table, his hands splayed flat onto the scrubbed wooden surface and a look of pure business on his face. “Right, listen up. We have a job to do-”

“ _I_  have a job to do,” Ryan interrupted, letting out an exasperated breath. Geoff waved him off impatiently.

“Whilst Ryan wastes time counting cows,  _we’re_  gonna launch an investigation,” Geoff smacked his hand on the table with a triumphant look; a look that only grew at the confused looks on the faces of his teammates. “There’s been some real freaky shit happening around here, and we’re gonna find out what’s causing it and sort it out.”

“Freaky like…bandit freaky?” Ray asked, leaning back in his seat with his arms tightly folded. Geoff shook his head.

“Freaky like creepy ass sounds in the night and people going missing.”

“Ah,  _that_  freaky.”

“How long has it been going on?” Jack asked, a serious look clear in his eyes.

Geoff shrugged, sitting heavily into his seat and reaching towards the middle of the table and the goblets of liquid waiting there. He took a sip from it and almost immediately grimaced at the taste. “Ugh, what the fuck is in here?!”

“ _Geoff_.”

“I couldn’t get the folks here to tell me an exact date,” Geoff explained as he scowled at the drink. He pushed the goblet away with a huff. “A couple of weeks maybe?”

“Anything new that could’ve caused it?”

“Nobody I asked today knew anything,” Geoff replied, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded over the metal armour guarding his chest. “They’re suspicious as dicks though. It was difficult to get anything out of them.”

“What’re we gonna do about it then?” Michael asked, absentmindedly playing with the bandages wrapped tightly around his wrists.

“Help them,” Gavin shifted closer to Ryan and raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Michael. Michael paused, his fingers curled around a frayed bandage edge, and he slowly turned his head to look at Gavin.

“Of course we’re gonna fucking do that dumbass!” He growled, teeth bared and eyes ablaze. “We’re not just gonna fucking  _sit_  hereand do shit.”

“Boys,” Geoff grumbled warningly, looking between the two carefully with narrowed eyes. Michael huffed, pulling at the bandage thread, whilst Gavin grinned sheepishly and shuffled closer to Ryan. Ryan, hand hidden by the tabletop, placed his hand reassuringly onto Gavin’s knee and squeezed lightly.

“You want to question more people,” Ryan asked bluntly, smiling warmly at Gavin who placed his smaller hand upon his before looking towards Geoff. Geoff nodded.

“Standard divide and conquer.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open when I’m out tomorrow, it shouldn’t take me long.”

“Take Michael with you,” Geoff suggested, nodding towards Michael who shrugged in response. “I take it Gavin’s already going with you?”

“Yep!” Gavin beamed, flinging an arm around Ryan’s shoulder and throwing a thumbs up towards Michael with his other hand. “With Team Nice Dynamite to help you out you’ll be finished in no time!”

Ray’s snort of laughter was clearly audible in the silence that followed, as was his indignant cry as Michael smacked him.

Despite appearing small from the outside, the inn possessed a number of bedrooms on its first floor extending back towards the rear with a pair of communal bathrooms at the end of a dimly lit corridor. The floorboards creaked beneath Ryan’s feet as he made his way back from the bathroom, dressed simply in a white t-shirt and a loose pair of trousers, towards the room he was sharing with Gavin and Ray. The two were awake when he entered, but just barely; Ray curled up on the portable cot on the floor by Gavin’s side of the bed as the Neulin man lay spread out on the mattress with a goofy smile on his face. Their conversation trailed off as soon as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him and effectively cutting off the echo of Geoff’s voice from down the corridor, before he set his clothes on the dresser and climbed into bed beside Gavin.

The brunet shuffled over to give Ryan space to lie down and rolled onto his side, wrapping his arms around the older man with a happy sigh.

“Get a room,” Ray groaned, his voice sounding muffled and far away.

“We have a room,” Gavin replied sleepily, shifting closer to Ryan. “You just so happen to be in it.”

“Christ Gav, your feet are cold.”

“Mmhm, I can warm them up against your legs though.”

“Hell no, you’ve got socks. Use them.”

Ryan’s eyes flickered closed as Gavin shifted away from him, the warmth from his body heat disappearing as well as half the blankets as the smaller man clambered to the end of the bed and shuffled towards the dresser as soon as his feet touched the floor.

“I should probably turn off the light,” Gavin mumbled, and Ryan heard him rummaging around whilst muttering quietly under his breath. “C’mon socks, where did I pu-whoops!”

Ryan heard the unmistakable sound of clothing hitting the floor, and he sat up with eyes open to look towards where his boyfriend was stood sheepishly by the dresser; the pile of clothes he’d neatly piled upon it no longer visible. From his cot on the floor, the sound of Ray’s even breathing drifted towards him and Ryan watched as Gavin tentatively looked over in his direction; the brunet visibly relaxing when Ray didn’t wake.

“Let me guess, my stuff’s on the floor?”

Gavin ducked down, pulling up the bundle of Ryan’s clothes when he stood, and chuckled. He placed the bundle onto the bed and picked up Ryan’s coat. “Yeeeah, I’ll fold it up again I pro-”

Gavin was interrupted by a dull thud, the archer immediately stepping to the side to get a better look at the object that had dropped. “Er, did you have anything in your pockets?”

“Not really,” Ryan replied, his brow furrowing in confusion as he got up and went to the end of the bed, eyes carefully looking at the floor.

Gavin spotted it first, which wasn’t all that surprising. The archer’s eyes were more attuned to spotting unfamiliar things and Ryan immediately followed his line of sight after the younger man let out a triumphant yell. Barely noticeable, the wooden object tucked just out of the way beside the leg of the bed frame and blending in with the wood of the floor, struck him as odd and he reached out for it, batting Gavin’s hand out of the way in the process.

“What is it?” Gavin asked curiously, tracking the movement of the object as it came up into the light.

“I don’t know,” Ryan replied quietly, turning the wooden object over with bare hands. The object was small and crudely carved; the surface oddly smooth in some places yet coarse in others. The details on the figure were difficult to make out, and Ryan found himself moving closer to the oil lamp on the dresser to see it better.

He couldn’t distinguish much about it but the bow and arrow it was holding were as clear as day, causing Ryan’s blood to run cold.

“Is it yours?” Gavin asked, startling Ryan out of his thoughts. Ryan shook his head, placing the figure onto the dresser and moving his clothes from the bed, leaving them unfolded in the place they’d previously occupied. A look of confusion settled on Gavin’s face, and Ryan leant forward to deliver a reassuring kiss; his hands resting lightly on Gavin’s hips.

Gavin hesitated for a moment before returning the kiss, looking deep into Ryan’s eyes as they broke apart. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Ryan replied with a small smile. “It’s not mine, but I think I know whose it is so I can return it in the morning.” Gavin still looked slightly confused so Ryan pushed him gently back towards his side of the bed. “C’mon, you said you were tired earlier. Now’s your chance to sleep.”

Gavin scrambled under the covers and Ryan turned off the light, sliding into the bed and wrapping his arms around the younger man as he promptly pressed himself against him, shivering lightly against the cold that permeated the room.

Outside, although far in the distance, the low rumbling of thunder filled the night.


	2. Chapter 2

_The harsh howl of the wind assaulted his ears as he trudged forward, the soles of his shoes crunching against the gravel beneath his feet and his breath rising in wisps before his eyes. Rain fell around him, icy cold droplets landing on his skin and seeping into his uniform and he wished - not for the first time - that he was back at home sat in front of the fireplace surrounded by his family. His fingers curled around the rough wood of his weapon and he crouched, waiting._

_“Cam…n...us...all...taquer…!”_

_The voice of his superior officer - speaking rapidly in the hoarse language of Obras - called to his soldiers, his voice lost over the sound of the rain and the low rumble of thunder. He looked around, taking in the grim faces of his comrades as they stared intently into the distance where the enemy soldiers were said to be coming from._

_He swallowed heavily and readjusted his grip on his weapon as figures moved in the distance, a ripple of movement going through the soldiers around him as the anticipation of the upcoming battle mounted within them. Ahead of him, his superior roared something - a yell lost in the bone-shaking crash of thunder from the thick clouds above - and charged forward._

_Without a second thought he followed._

“Ry?”

Ryan’s eyes flew open and he blinked tiredly in confusion, one hand gripping the curtain that had been pulled open to reveal the storm raging outside and the other hand resting on the window’s latch. The window itself had been pushed ajar, tiny droplets of rain running along his skin as a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

“Wh’t’re you doin’?”

Gavin’s sleep-filled voice startled Ryan out of his reverie, the mage pulling the window shut just as a loud rumble of thunder boomed overhead and another flash of lightning lit up the area. Against the harsh light, temporarily blinding to his eyes, he pulled the curtain back across the window frame and turned towards where his boyfriend was blearily looking at him from the bed; his messy hair peeking out over the top of the blankets and a half-lidded eye just about visible. 

“Going to the bathroom,” he replied quietly, forcing the words past chapped lips. “Go back to sleep Gav.”

Gavin murmured something, far too quiet for Ryan’s ears to pick up, and Ryan took that as his cue to leave, shuffling over to the door and stepping out into the unlit corridor. 

“You couldn’t sleep either?” 

Ryan couldn’t help but think that Michael looked as tired as he felt, the man’s auburn curls tangled from his attempts to sleep and a tall glass of water clutched in his right hand. His face was pale and dark smudges rested beneath his eyes.

“The thunder woke me up.”

“Ah,” Michael nodded in understanding, sending a dark look towards the room he was sharing with Geoff and Jack. “At least you didn’t have those two fucking snoring, no one can sleep through that shit.”

“It’s surprisingly easy to tune it out,” Ryan replied, sending a small smile Michael’s way. Michael huffed and shook his head in disagreement. “It is a bit of a challenge though, I thought you liked challenges?” 

Michael didn’t pick up on the teasing tone in Ryan’s voice and he scowled darkly. “Not when I’m trying to get my beauty sleep _Ryan_ ,” he grumbled, looking so much like a grumpy little boy that Ryan had to fight with the smile tugging at his lips. Michael noticed anyway and scowled. “Go on, laugh all you want. I don’t care.”

“ _Try_ and get some sleep,” Ryan advised, moving away from his bedroom door and down the hallway. “We’re going to need you awake and aware tomorrow.” 

“I’ll try, no promises though,” Michael rolled his eyes and disappeared into a door further down the corridor, Ryan’s ears immediately picking up the loud snoring of his fellow Gents for the few moments the door was open before a rumble of thunder sounded overhead.

The bathrooms were empty when he checked, nobody else disturbed enough by the storm to venture outside of the warmth of their beds, and he slipped inside the small space and shuffled over to the sink; splashing his face with the cool water from the tap as the night rumbled around him.

He didn’t remember going back to bed but he soon found himself being woken by Gavin’s bony finger prodding his shoulder incessantly, the younger man calling his name in a sing-song tone of voice that Ryan - his mind still fuzzy from sleep - didn’t appreciate. He rolled over and opened his eyes, raising a hand to block out the sunlight that assaulted his vision, grumbling.

“Is it time to get up?”

“Yep!” Gavin replied cheerfully, sitting on the edge of the bed - fully dressed with his arrow holster already slung across his back. “I did try to wake you when I got up but you wouldn’t budge. You look super cute when you’re sleeping though.”

“Get a room,” Ray groaned as he buckled his sword holsters to his belt. Ryan sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and sending a tried smirk in Ray’s direction.

“We have, you just so happen to be in it,” he joked, echoing Gavin’s words from the night before and causing his boyfriend to grin triumphantly. “What time is it?”

“Some time after 8,” Gavin replied, getting to his feet. Across the room, Ray pulled his gloves on before ducking down to stare at his reflection in the mirror.

“You must’ve been really out of it,” he added, looking closely at his eyes in the mirror. He readjusted his glasses, satisfied, and turned around to face the two with hands on his hips. “Gavin was _not_ quiet.”

Ryan chuckled at Gavin’s sheepish look and got to his feet. “I’m not surprised.”

“You prats!”

“We love you really Gav,” Ryan continued, standing up and pulling Gavin to his side.Gavin hugged him with a small grin on his face, and cooed.

“Awwww, I love you guys too.”

“No homo of course,” Ray winked playfully, moving across the room to the door. He paused, squinting down at the figurine Ryan had placed there the night before, and a look of confusion passed across his face. “What’s this?” He asked, picking up and running gloved fingers along the crude wood. “Did one of you decide to take up woodcarving during the night? I’ve gotta say, it’s not very good.”

Ryan held out his hand and Ray lightly threw the figurine to him, the confused look still on his face. “It’s not ours, don’t worry about it,” he answered, placing the figurine onto the bedside table and gently pushing Gavin towards the door. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs, we’re running late.”

Gavin snorted. “And whose fault is that, Sleeping Beauty?!”

Geoff chose that moment to burst in through the door, striding over the threshold without a care for the reactions of the room’s occupants. “Good morning!” He greeted enthusiastically. “It’s great to see you all awake and ready to go,” he looked at Ryan, taking in his pyjamas with an amused look on his face. “Well, almost.”

“Yeah yeah, I just need to get dressed,” Ryan grumbled, gently pushing Gavin towards the door and shooing at the other two with his hands. “So, if you guys would let me do that we can go.”

“Awww, Ryan’s shy,” Gavin teased as he followed Ray to the door, a spring in his step. “There’s no need for that Love, it’s nothing I haven’t seen befo-”

Gavin was interrupted by Geoff pushing him out of the door and shutting it behind him; the older man with a patiently exasperated look on his face as he steered Gavin down the corridor to the stairs.

“We’ve already wasted enough time fucking around,” Geoff mumbled, following Ray and Gavin down the stairs and across the hall into the dining room where Michael and Jack were already sat. Michael’s arms were firmly crossed, his shoulders slumped and he was glaring at his breakfast plate with a look he usually reserved for his worst enemies. By contrast, Jack had a cheery look on his face and was stood, humming to himself as he looked out of the dining room window. Geoff strode past Ray and Gavin, straight into the space between Michael and Jack, and cleared his throat. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Michael looked up, craning his neck to see past the new arrivals, and glowered. “Where the hell is Ryan?”

“He’ll be down in a mo,” Gavin chimed, sitting down at the table opposite the other man and leaning over to steal a piece of bacon, popping it into his mouth. He ignored Michael’s glare as he chewed. “He just woke up.”

“We’re gonna be waiting for him for fucking _ever_ ,” Michael groaned, leaning forward to cross his arms on the table; dropping his head onto them tiredly. “Ugh.”

“If you want to go with Geoff and Ray, I can help Ryan and Gavin out,” Jack suggested, standing in place next to Geoff. Geoff turned his head to look at the him, raising an eyebrow in an unspoken question. “If he’s that tired, he might find it easier to stay with us?”

Michael shook his head, not moving it from its place on his arms. “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? We don’t want you falling asleep on the job Michael,” Geoff asked, folding his arms and shifting on the balls of his feet impatiently. “You’re no use to anyone asleep.”

“I’ll be _fine_ Geoff, you guys just fucking leave already,” Michael growled, pushing himself up from the table to slump back in his chair; arms hanging loosely down the sides. “Go and find out what’s causing this freaky shit so we can fucking stop it already and go home.”

Geoff rolled his eyes and ushered Jack and Ray out of the door, the three disappearing out into the dim light of morning and allowing the low buzz of conversation from the townsfolk outside to filter into the inn.

Michael groaned, not moving from his slumped position in the simple wooden chair, and didn’t move to stop Gavin from stealing another piece of bacon. “What’re the chances of me sleeping on the floor of your room tonight?”

“Are Geoff and Jack really that bad?” Gavin asked, chewing on the bacon with a thoughtful look on his face. 

“They snore loud enough to wake the fucking dead,” Michael grumbled, reaching forward to swat Gavin’s hand away as he reached for another piece of bacon. Gavin recoiled with a squeak. “I now know why Ray was so set in staying with you guys. I swear to the Gods if I have to share a room with them again…”

“I’ve never had a problem sharing a room with them befo-”

“That’s because you can fucking sleep through the end of the world,” Michael retorted, banging his fist on the tabletop. “I bet you didn’t even notice the storm last night.”

“There was a storm?”

“Yeah, it was pretty fucking loud too.”

“You don’t remember it? You woke up during it,” Ryan asked, announcing his presence in his low drawl. Gavin promptly turned in his chair and offered him the last piece of bacon that he had managed to grab from Michael’s plate, ignoring the glare the other man sent his way. Ryan accepted it with a small smile. “Thanks Gav.”

Gavin shook his head slowly. “Nope, must’ve been talking in my sleep or something.”

“No surprises _there_ ,” Michael mumbled, getting to his feet and slipping into his sword holster. “Are we ready to go?”

Ryan readjusted his grip on his staff and nodded. “Yeah, the sooner we get this done the sooner we can go and help the others.”

The three left the inn and stepped out into the damp streets, the smell of the storm that had passed heavy in the air and making Gavin - who was familiar with this sort of weather - pull his scarf up so that it was covering his mouth. He nuzzled into the warmth, watching through the corner of his eyes as Ryan chuckled and led them through the streets towards the Northern Gate.

“We should really get you guys something warmer to wear,” Ryan commented, pulling a letter from his coat pocket. He scanned the words on it with a thoughtful look, looking around at his surroundings carefully as his mind processed what was written. Michael huffed.

“Hell no! I’m fine like this.”

“Yeah! No one will ever believe me when I say I killed a Creeper if the proof is hidden underneath a _coat_!”

Ryan rolled his eyes, ducking between a group of townsfolk who sent blank glares his way as he passed. “Well, when you come down with hypothermia don’t come crying to me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“Awww,” Gavin moaned, shuffling closer to Ryan and looking at the piece of paper he was holding, eyes not really focusing on it. “Who else will I cry to?”

“Geoff? It’ll make his day,” Michael suggested, running a hand through his hair with a yawn. “So, what exactly are we doing?”

“The King’s asked me to check on the farms in this area that provide livestock and products for the Capital. Everything that goes to the Capital gets shared out between the army, the guards, towns and cities that can’t provide for themselves, so the King wants to make sure that we can continue to provide the same level of service without having any problems.”

“So we need to go around to every farm in the region and count animals all day?”

“Not every farm. The Master of Agriculture in this town holds the records for the region, but he doesn’t for the farms within 10 miles of the town apparently - something to do with them being too close and he can’t get them to send updates themselves, so he has to actually go and gather the information himself whereas the other farms send them down every month or so.”

“...So we’re going to see this Master of Agriculture and then trek out of the town?” Michael sighed deeply, shrugging. “Alright.”

Gavin shook his head, linking arms with Ryan and bouncing forward. “Nope. We saw the Master of Agriculture as soon as we arrived yesterday,” he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “He was not happy to see us. He pretty much threw files at us and kicked us out.”

“That _might_ be because you stepped on his cat.”

“It was an accident! And I said I was sorry! ...I still feel really bad about it.”

“So, we’re _not_ seeing this Master of Agriculture?” Michael asked, confused.

“We don’t need to,” Ryan supplied, walking through the portcullis at the Northern Gate and out of the town. “The farms should have their details ready so it shouldn’t take us more than a couple of hours.” 

Of course, nothing could be as simple as that. The three managed to collect information from the farms nearest to the town walls without a problem, steadily getting closer to the Forest of Brax on the Northern Border of the Kingdom, until…

“I fucking knew I’d end up counting cows,” Michael raged, stomping across a field before coming to a stout wooden fence. He scrambled over it, stumbling when his feet hit the ground on the other side, and shouted to the grey sky above. “I’ve got better things to do than counting _fucking cows_.”

“You could’ve stayed back,” Gavin replied, holding tightly onto Ryan’s arm - the mage’s feet hovering above the ground as he bypassed the slippery grass. “We’ll be fi-AH.” He foot snagged on a patch of uneven ground - an indent left by a cow’s hoof - and his grip on Ryan’s arm tightened as his legs struggled to stay upright beneath him. “Bloody _cows_!”

“How about you stay here,” Ryan suggested, pulling Gavin over to the fence and waiting until the younger man was steady before prying his arm from his grip. “You can sit on the fence and count the cows in this field whilst Michael and I move down to the other herd over there. We’ll reconvene here in half an hour or so?”

“Why does Gavin get to stay here?” Michael moaned, leaning heavily against the fence. Ryan rolled his eyes.

“He keeps falling over and you haven’t tripped once, we’ll be able to move quicker without him,” he replied, patting Gavin on the shoulder. “No offence.”

Gavin shrugged. “It’s true, you guys just hurry up. I don’t want to end up sat here like a larry.”

“Speak a language we can all understand Gavin,” Michael retorted, glaring at the younger man.

“I would, but this is way more fun Michael.”

Michael huffed, spinning on his heel and stomping off down the hill towards the trees. Ryan chuckled, leaning forward to kiss Gavin, before hopping over the fence. “You be careful, I don’t want to come back and find you’ve broken your ankle or been trampled by cows or something.”

“I’ll try,” Gavin promised, waving him off. “You guys just hurry up.”

Ryan mock-saluted before turning to follow Michael down the hill. Gavin chuckled, pulling himself up to sit on the fence, before turning his attention back to the herd in the field before him. He sighed to himself.

“One, two, three, four, five…” he trailed off, shifting his weight on the fence and readjusting the grip his hands had on the wood beneath them.”...Six…” He looked up at the sky, seeing small specks of sunlight filtering in through the heavy clouds and watching how the beams of light fell down from the sky to the earth below; lighting up patches of grass. He kicked his feet against the fence gently; turning his head to see the specks of Ryan and Michael in the distance by the trees. “...Seven…” He turned back to the field and jumped, almost slipping backwards off of the fence and onto the damp grass below.

The cow that had come to investigate him was clearly unamused. At least it looked unamused, Gavin decided, shuffling further down the fence to add distance between him and the animal; only succeeding in making it more interested in him. “Aww, c’mon. Go!” He whined, waving his hands at the cow that only mooed in response. “Mooooooo,” he tried, waving his hands harder and hoping that making a sound that the cow was familiar with would help get the message across.

Another cow appeared, keen to see what its bovine friend was interested in, and soon Gavin found himself surrounded by half a dozen cows; all mooing at various volumes and looking at him like he was a particularly juicy piece of grass.

“Alright, _this_ is creepy enough,” he murmured, wondering if Ryan’s suggestion of a coat earlier would have been useful to hide the amount of green he was wearing, before swinging his legs over the other side of the fence and dropping into the neighbouring field. “I’ll be back, just going to go and find my friends...and I’m speaking to cows now apparently...” He turned to face the direction he had last seen Ryan and Michael in and blinked in confusion.

Where Ryan and Michael had been standing before was now empty of people, and Gavin took a step forward before the question of where they had gone fully formed in his mind. He was halfway down the hill when the traction beneath his feet vanished, causing him to pinwheel his arms to try and regain his balance; which helped long enough to allow him to fall backwards instead of forwards and slide down the rest of the way on his back.

He blinked up at the sky momentarily before pulling himself back to his feet, looking around for the figures of his comrades and failing to locate them. He pulled his bow from where it was resting against his body, reaching up behind him to remove an arrow from the holster across his back and readying the two incase of danger; carefully scanning the area like he’d been taught and straining his ears to hear anything irregular amongst the general sounds of the countryside.

It wasn’t so much something he heard that caught his attention as opposed to something he saw. Beyond the fence that separated the field he was stood in from the trees at the very edge of the Forest of Brax there was a patch of disturbed ground; mud that looked as though it had been trampled through, all leading from a hole in the fence into the trees. 

Gavin relaxed, stepping through the hole and looking around him. “Ah, one of them must have escaped…” he guessed, looking to the herd that occupied the field - not as inquisitive as the cows he had started to count, as as soon as he had entered their field they made sure to stay away from him. He shrugged, stepping through the trampled patch of mud and into the trees.

The overcast day combined with the high canopy of leaves made the light within the forest dim; Gavin readying his bow once more and taking careful steps to avoid tree roots that he knew would otherwise trip him up - wishing that he had Ryan’s ability to float above ground when the urge struck him. Wishing that he had stayed with his comrades instead of being by himself.

“Ryan?” He called out carefully, wincing as his voice echoed loudly around in the quietness of the trees. “Michael?” 

The resounding silence was jarring, and Gavin swallowed heavily against the feeling of being closed in from the shadows before stepping further into the trees. 

“This is just _great_ ,” he mumbled to himself quietly, drawing his bow and carefully making his way down an embankment. “Absolutely bloody top. I’m starting to see why Michael’s so annoyed at coming along out here. Nothing but bloody worry. If they’ve run off to find a cow then I’ll sma-”

Gavin jumped, stumbling forward and turning in a panic, when a loud, indecipherable cry rang out around him; the direction of origin impossible to determine. He readied his bow, holding it out before him and drawing back the arrow in preparation of attack.

“Hello?” He called steadily, advancing further into the trees. “Is anybody there?”

He heard noise from behind him; a twig snapping followed by a heavy rustling of leaves and he spun on his heel to face the origin of the sound. His breaths came in quick gasps, his eyes unable to see anything in the dim light and he exhaled shakily with his bow outstretched and his feet frozen on the ground. 

“You don’t bloody scare me!” He yelled, gripping his bow harder to hide the tremor that betrayed his fear. “I’ve been in worse situations than this!”

He yelped, the sound catching in his throat as rough hands grabbed him from behind and harshly pried his bow from his hold with enough force to send spikes of pain from his fingers up his arm. He cried out, struggling in his attacker’s hold with more strength than he thought he possessed and tried to turn.

“RYAN! MICHAEL!” He shoved his weight forward, trying to bring a leg up to knock down his attacker but had it promptly kicked out from under him. “RYA-”

Something heavy met the back of his head, smacking heavily into his skull and sending stars dancing across his vision; the tension in his body immediately dissipated, leaving him feeling as if his limbs were no longer his and darkness rose up to encase his vision. 

He then knew no more.


	3. Chapter 3

“Well, that was a massive waste of a morning.”

Geoff groaned, pulling open the door to the inn and waving Ray and Jack inside. Ray, wearing an unimpressed scowl on his face, glowered at him as he strode inside whilst Jack’s sympathetic look only made the former Knight groan harder. “Hey, I wouldn’t call it a complete waste. We’ve learnt some really useful shit this morning.”

“Like what?” Ray moaned, dropping his swords onto the tabletop and dropping into the nearest chair. He slouched forward, rubbing his eyes under his glasses with a look of annoyance on his face. “I could tell you anything from how many eggs Mrs. What’s-Her-Name uses in her baking to how clean Mr. Thing’s kitchen is, none of which help us in figuring out what’s causing all of this freaky stuff.”

“That’s a point,” Jack mused, slipping into the chair beside Ray with a thoughtful look on his face. “Nobody we spoke to today said _anything_ about any strange occurrences.”

“Nobody denied it either,” Geoff shrugged, placing his sword atop Ray’s before stretching his arms upwards with a yawn; his fingertips lightly grazing the ceiling. “I noticed that they changed the subject immediately after we asked. If you ask me, _that’s_ some suspicious shit right there.”

“I did notice that,” Jack affirmed, running a hand absentmindedly through his beard. His soft brown eyes bore into Geoff’s, a look of worry running through them. “What are we going to do about it?”

“Try and track down the people I spoke to yesterday at the market,” Geoff suggested, resting his hands lightly onto his hips as he thought. “They might have been fucking with us yesterday, so we should try to figure out if they really are lying or not before we decide to go home.”

“Ryan should be finished today, right?” Ray asked, still slumped in his seat but looking interested. Geoff nodded.

“Yeah, even that’s too long if yo-”

“Guys, a little help!”

The three men turned to face the doorway where Ryan’s voice had come from. The mage looked a mess; his face was pale and streaks of dirt marred his clothes. Across his shoulders was slung an unconscious Gavin, and Geoff immediately darted forward to help him as he visibly teetered.

“Upstairs, now,” Geoff commanded, his voice soft but holding an authoritative tone that immediately had the group moving; Ray grabbing the pile of swords on the table before following the group out of the dining room. Upstairs, he threw open the door to room Ryan was sharing with the two youngest Hunters and moved aside as the mage gently lay the unconscious man onto the bed, stepping back to run a shaky hand through his already-messy hair.

“Is he okay?” Jack asked, edging into the room after Ray and shutting the door gently behind him, looking at the two with a concerned look on his face. Geoff ducked forward, satisfied by the steady rise and fall of Gavin’s chest before he stepped back, turning on Ryan.

“What the _fuck_ happened?” He demanded, sharp eyes scanning his friend for injuries and finding nothing other than dirt-streaked clothes. Ryan stumbled forward and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Gavin with worried eyes.

“We were attacked,” he replied, gently turning Gavin’s head to the side so that the smatterings of blood, dried and matted into his hair, were visible. Geoff hissed, immediately motioning for Jack to pick up the cloth from the washbasin in the corner and hand it to him. The red-head immediately complied, practiced hands dipping the cloth into the water and wringing it out carefully. “They’d already knocked him out by the time I got to him, and they ran before I could do anything. I didn’t get a chance to really see their face.”

“Ryan,” Ray started, stepping back as Jack handed Geoff the washcloth. The youngest member of their team looked confused, a concerned look dawning on his face as he stared at the mage. “Where’s Michael?”

Geoff head shot up, his hand pausing in lightly washing the back of Gavin’s head, and he stared at Ryan with startled eyes. “Ryan?”

Ryan’s face paled and he swallowed heavily. “He didn’t come back here?”

“ _Fuck_ ,” Geoff cursed, standing up straight and pointing to Ray. “Ray!”

Ray saluted. “I’m on it,” he replied, knowing what Geoff wanted him to do without waiting for the instruction, before darting out of the room. Jack took the cloth from Geoff’s slackened grip, sitting on the other side of the bed and patiently continuing the task of cleaning Gavin up as the former knight paced the room; his boots smacking loudly against the wooden floor. 

“So, let me get this straight,” he seethed, eyes ablaze. “You guys got fucking _attacked_ and you just thought Michael would make his way back here?!”

“We were separa-”

“With these rumours going around about freaky shit going down here, you guys decided to fucking _separate_?! Whose dumbass idea was that?!”

“We thou-”

“You guys _didn’t_ think! That’s what you did!”

“Geoff…”

“Surely you could’ve used some of your mojo to stay together?” Geoff waved his hands, cutting across Jack’s attempt at calming the conversation, getting steadily more irate as he ranted. Ryan groaned. “Hell! Can’t you use your mojo to fucking _heal_ Gavin?!”

“Ryan, where’s your staff?”

Ryan blinked at Jack’s sudden question before looking around, as if waiting for his weapon to materialise from thin air. Nothing happened, and neither his staff, nor Gavin’s bow, appeared. “Er…”

“ _Ryan_?!” Geoff moaned, running a hand exasperatedly through his shaggy hair. “What the _fuck_ is wrong with you today man?!”

“Are you _sure_ you’re not injured?” Jack asked, carefully looking at Ryan as the older man shook his head. “Because you’re acting really off.”

“You’ve never left your staff behind,” Geoff’s stated, his annoyance slowly giving way to thinly-veiled confusion. He stood, his outline framed by the light from the window, with his hands on his hips and with a contemplative look on his face as he stared at Ryan. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just worried about Gavin,” Ryan replied quietly, looking between the two men with wide eyes, his finger clenching into the blankets below him. “He hasn’t so much as twitched since I found him.”

Ray slipped back into the room, shaking his head. “The guy at the desk hasn’t seen him.”

“Dammit,” Geoff mumbled, stalking across the room to extract his sword from the pile Ray had brought upstairs. He slipped it into its holster and turned to face the others. “Where were you?”

“I’m coming with you.”

“Like _hell_ you are Ryan!” Geoff retorted loudly as Ryan got to his feet. “You’re gonna stay here, look after Gavin and fucking rest. Pull yourself together.”

Ryan shook his head, folding his arms tightly across his body and raising an eyebrow towards the leader of their group. “You’ll find it a lot easier with me there, I’ll be able to sense my staff and get us there quicker the closer we get to it, we can then look for Michael.”

“I can stay here with Gavin,” Jack suggested, placing the washcloth gently onto the bedside table. “I can explain where everyone’s gone when he wakes up, and if Michael comes back here I can keep him here until you guys get back.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ray interjected carefully, looking between the older members of his group as if waiting for a challenge. “Well, that’s if everyone is _okay_ with the plan…”

Geoff looked ready to object, narrowing his eyes at Ryan for a moment before he huffed and nodded. Ryan turned, ducking to deliver a light kiss to Gavin’s forehead, before strolling from the room, Ray following closely behind him.

“If we’re not back here by tomorrow morning…” He trailed off, shrugging. “Send help or some shit like that.”

“Yes Sir,” Jack replied, mock-saluting. Geoff rolled his eyes and stepped out into the hallway, his gaze lingering on the remaining two members of The Hunters before he descended the stairs to rejoin the rest of his group.

“You never answered my question,” he started, rubbing his hands together. Ryan raised an eyebrow. “Where were you?”

“At one of the farms beyond the Northern Gate,” he replied, opening the door to the inn and letting Ray move outside before him. He followed Geoff out into the street and shrugged. “Well, into the forest behind one of the farms beyond the Northern Gate.”

“The forest?” Ray asked in confusion, leading the way to the Northern Gate. “I thought you were counting cows?”

“One escaped, so Michael and I went to go and find it,” Ryan explained, sticking his hands into his pockets as he followed the younger man. “I’d left Gavin up in one of the fields because he was slipping around. I thought he was less likely to get hurt if he stayed up there but…well. He didn’t stay there, did he.”

“He’ll be fine,” Geoff replied with a dry chuckle. “He’ll have a headache worthy of a hangover when he wakes up, but he’ll bounce back.”

“You say that from experience,” Ray mused with a smirk. Geoff grinned.

“Gavin’s not exactly careful.”

The three past through the Northern Gate, amongst a steady throng of townsfolk who ignored them as they went by, and out onto the relatively straight road that led away from the town; the dense green haze of the Forest of Brax a mere blip on the horizon.

“So, we’re heading in this direction then?” Ray asked, pointing ahead. He glanced sideways at Ryan, an eyebrow raised in question.

“Yeah,” Ryan replied, folding his arms and drumming his fingers against the fabric of his coat as he nodded. “It’s the…fifth farm down this road on the right I think. I’ll recognise it when we get there; it’s the one closest to the forest.”

Ray nodded, wandering ahead of the two older men with a pensive look, a hand straying to one of the swords at his hip. Geoff met Ryan’s eyes, a steely, prepared look in their blue depths that Ryan couldn’t help but smile reassuringly at.

“We find Michael first,” Geoff huffed as he stalked forward to keep up with Ray, his boots crunching into the dirt with every step.

The smile slowly slipped from Ryan’s lips, a cold smirk replacing what was formerly a warm expression and he hissed quietly. “It won’t take us long to get there, not long at all.”


End file.
